A COLLECTION OF EIGHT DeVERE LIVE RODEO PHOTO POSTCARDS FROM THE 1949 CHEYENNE, WYOMING RODEO.

(Wyoming - Photography) Helfrich, DeVere (1902-1981). DeVere Helfrich was known as the Dean of Rodeo Photography. These images were all taken at the 1949 Cheyenne Rodeo and include Carl Dossey who became World Champion Bareback Rider in 1940 and later a famous rodeo judge; Les Gore of the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame on John T III; Jim Schumacher riding Mickey Mouse and who was also famous as a rodeo clown; Tim Grigg riding Grass Range; Bill Weeks on bull #14; Dan Simianer being thrown off bull #3; Virgil Miranda being thrown off the bucking horse Reno and Eddie Evans flying off of Pretty Dick.

With Ralph Doubleday and John Stryker, DeVere Helfrich was one of “the big three” who recorded the sport of rodeo. As Rodeo Cowboys Association official photographer for thirty years, he captured the action of such top hands as Jim Shoulders, Casey Tibbs, and Dean Oliver. In a dangerous line of work, Helfrich was run over by bulls and stepped on by horses, but his images were always clear and precisely focused.

DeVere explained his method of photographing rodeos in this way: "I like to work about 30 to 40 feet from the action. The photographer has to be in time with [not just] the horse [but also] the rider. The best time to get the picture is when the cowboy's feet are forward and the horse's hooves are just off the ground." A stylized version of one of his photos is the symbol of the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association. He was inducted posthumously into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1991.

Sources: National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum; Autry Collection.